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The present invention generally relates to packaging and more specifically to improvements in shipping containers for batteries. The battery container is configured to be used to store batteries in a specifically designed container allowing the same to be easily stored and transported and for otherwise maintaining the battery in a clean and undamaged condition until the battery is to be used. Thus this invention relates to improvements in a battery carton, and more particularly to cartons used as a protective cover for protecting the filler caps and terminals of automotive type batteries during shipping.
Automobile and other batteries are constructed so that they have projections extending upwardly beyond the upper surface of the battery. These projections are in the form of filler caps, terminal straps and terminal posts which extend higher than the filler caps. The terminal posts are made of soft material such as lead and are in danger of being easily broken or bent prior to reaching the consumer. This damage occurs in the most part in loading the batteries for shipment as they are placed vertically one on top of the other in a stack so as to build up a considerable weight upon the lowermost battery and when palletized, shift during transportation. Similar stacking occurs when the batteries are stored on dealers"" shelves or for warehousing in order to make most efficient use of available space. In view of this stacking the container must provide protection to the fragile terminals and filler caps against distortion, breakage or damage by directing the weight of the batteries on the rigid container of the battery. The weight on the lowest battery in a stack of superimposed batteries may amount to several hundred pounds or more.
The filler caps of the batteries which are commonly made of plastic, and the lead terminals must be protected from the weight of other batteries resting upon them and moving against them. For this purpose, pasteboard protective cartons have long been used. These cartons ordinarily have one or more flanges depending from the carton top resting upon the top of the battery between the filler caps, the flanges providing support for the next battery above.
Previous protector cartons have also used a filler made of foam to protect the battery stems or have used corrugated paperboard containers which have multiple flaps folded over to provide protection to the battery.
One patent to Thacker et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,578,107 issued Dec. 11, 1951 discloses a shipping package for a storage battery constructed of corrugated carton material. Each of the side panels has an individual assembly foldably mounted on the top section of each side wall to form a cushion of double thickness. The assembly blank is provided with a cut-out portion which receives the upstanding terminals of a storage battery. The cushion acts as a shock for the package and allows stacking. One of the problems with this design is that the reentrantly folded flap sections which form the cushion must be perforated to enable forming a notch in the sides of the cushion for allowing the cushion to clear a filler cap or terminal post when the container is placed on a battery. Furthermore the score lines in the flap for forming the beam are likely to have a tendency to unfold and the cushions do not bear exclusively on the top of the battery case but could bear on the lead straps that connect the battery cells. Another patent to Fallert, U.S. No. 2,779,527 issued Jan. 29, 1957 disclosed a one piece corrugated cardboard box for shipping batteries in which each side of the box has an upper flap with associated mating tabs and cut outs which are folded over the top of the battery to form a double layer of cardboard protection. The reentrantly bent and interfaced flap sections carry all of the load. The reentrantly folded flaps have a tendency to unfold and can easily do so until another pair of cover flaps are locked with them.
The Nathan patent, U.S. No. 3,146,132 issued Aug. 25, 1962 discloses a plastic battery climatizer cover having a folding top which fastens on snap members located on the end walls and side walls of the cover box. A slide fastener is provided in the top of the lid for access to the battery. The lid also defines holes in the form of large eyelets through which the terminal posts of the battery can extend.
The Smith et al. patent Number 3,056,536 issued Oct. 2, 1962 discloses a bottomless battery carton made form a single blank of material having end flaps which extend along the upper edge of the end walls with the top of the carton folding over to provide a spaced portion on its upper surface. In this patent there are cover flaps that are bent horizontally from opposite vertical side walls to fit tightly between the reentrantly bent flap sections that define the shoulders. Thus the load is concentrated on narrow shoulders with the absence of any additional support for the top of the container for distributing some of the load over areas of the battery case other than its edges. The Grueneberg U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,156 issued Apr. 6, 1982 discloses another open bottomed storage battery container constructed of paperboard material for protecting components projecting from the top of the battery case. The container has four walls and a flap extending from a horizontal score line on each wall. Two opposed flaps have multiple angular score lines to enable folding them into tapered beams that rest on the top of the battery case. The other two opposed flaps serve as container covers. The flaps that serve as container covers have angular score lines defining cover and tongue sections. The tongue sections interface at an angle when the covers are closed and the ends rest on top of the battery case to provide support to that provided by the beams.
The present invention contemplates a battery carton which is formed with shoulders adapted to be supported on the upper edges of the hard casing walls only, never coming in contact with the soft middle portion. This battery container has been produced in a manufacturing environment and has been tested for strength and proved to be very suitable for the battery business.
Previous attempts to provide such a battery carton have resulted in devices which either did not effectively perform the desired function due to the shoulders moving inwardly from the carton walls and scaring or bending the soft terminal post and breaking the filler caps, or, where a spreading means has been employed, the pattern layout was too wasteful of material.
The inventive box itself is designed to form a protection for the battery caps and terminals. The box is easily erected and can save not only extra material but also time because the employee does not need to place a foam piece over the terminals and worry about placement.
Accordingly, a container has been developed to handle batteries which resolves these problems.
The present invention is a bottomless battery container for storing and transporting storage batteries comprising: side panels with connected cushion assemblies, each cushion assembly defining score lines between a top section, an end section and a bottom section. The cushion assembly defines shaped cutouts for receiving battery terminals and battery filling caps located at least in part on the bottom section which includes a fastening panel which is secured to an interior surface of its respective side panel.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a protective carton for batteries in which the weight of the carton, and of objects supported thereon, will bear upon the carton walls and not upon the battery itself.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a storage battery container that affords maximum protection against the force of a stack of batteries being transmitted to any terminal post, connecting strap, filler cap or any other projecting element from the case of the battery.
It is also our object of the invention is to provide a battery shipping cover which may be automatically snap locked into an open position without the use of staples, glue or other fasteners providing a clearance above the battery cable terminals and filler caps.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an economical one-piece battery container for shipping and storing electric batteries which may be knocked down in a flattened condition for shipment and rapidly assembled with out the use of staples, glue or other fasteners.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery carton in which the usual side flaps are folded in a novel manner to provide a supporting shoulder spaced from the top of the carton.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a battery carton of the character described which may be formed from a single rectangular blank without waste of the corrugated board material.
It is a further object to provide a battery carton of the character described in which a spreading action is exerted along substantially the entire length of the supporting shoulders, and in which the carton may be stapled together with conventional equipment and in a conventional manner.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as the specification progresses, and the new and useful features of our battery carton will be fully defined in the claims attached hereto.
In the accompanying drawings, there is shown illustrative embodiments of the invention from which these and other objectives, novel features and advantages will be readily apparent.